Air-operated sounding toy



March 9, 1965 H. BISCHOFF AIR-OPERATED soumnmc TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 13, 1962 FIG3 INVENTOR.

GUSTAV H. BISCHOFF (Q W I March 9, 1965 Filed July 13, 1962 G: H. BISCHOFF AIR-OPERATED soumnmc TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GUSTAV H. BISOHOFF BYM K United States Patent ce 3,172,232 A R-GPERATED SOUNDlNG TOY Gustav H. Bischoif, University City, Mo. (7489 Drexel Drive, St. Louis County 5, Mo.) Filed July 13, 1962, Ser. No. 299,677 3 Claims. (Cl. 46118) This invention relates in general to amusement devices and, more particularly, to an air operated toy.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a squeeze toy which by the exhausting from and the intaking of air efiects a novel reciprocal operation of a mobile element which is so designed as to cause the production of an audible signal during its movement.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a squeeze toy of the type stated which may be easily operated by a child of most tender years, and operation of which provides a source of rapt fascination by the user and hence the said toy provides an agent for child pacification.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a squeze toy which has a marked simplicity of parts and is thus conducive to high volume, low-cost production, which toys are most durable and reliable in usage; and the use of which does not present any hazard to the user.

Other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings (2 Sheets) wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front View of the squeeze toy constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, illustrating the body of the toy in compressed or air-evacuating condition.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, but illustrating another form of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawings which illustrate practical embodiments of the present invention, A designates generally a squeze toy integrally incorporating an enclosed hollow container comprising lower and upper compartments 1, 2 respectively, which are connected by a passage 3 within a narrow neck 4. Lower compartment 1 is defined by a cylindrical side wall 5, a bottom wall 6, and a top wall 7, which latter merges into neck 3. Upper compartment 2 is of general spherical character, being defined by a'spherical wall 8. Although such configuration is not critical, the same is utilized herein for endowing toy A with an animated appearance, as exteriorally wall 8 may be formed to simulate the human face by having provided thereon ear and eye portions 9 and 10, respectively. In its lower front or face portion spherical wall 8 is provided with an opening 11, the edges of which are integral with an inturned circular sleeve-like flange 12. Said container of toy A may be formed, as by molding, from a suitable plastic material, which may be opaque or transparent and having an inherent resiliency, such as polyethylene, so that upon compression of any portion thereof, the compressed part will return to normal condition upon release of the applied pressure.

Inserted into opening 11, and being frictionally engaged at its upper end portion on its outer surface by flange 12, is an elongated, transparent cylindrical tube 13, the lower end of which terminates spacedly below and forwardly of the face-simulative portion of Wall 8, said tube 13 inclining forwardly and downwardly as though held in the mouth of the animated toy. It is to be recognized that the length 3,172,232 Patented Mar. 9,1965

of tube 13 is a matter of choice as it may be of any predetermined extent although, as will be seen hereinbelow, the greater the length the greater distance of travel therein of a cylinder or piston 14 formed of relatively rigid, friction-producing material, such as rubber, and having a diameter immediately approximate, in the order of .005 of an inch, but slightly less than the inside diameter of tube 13. The height of piston 14 is quite important as it must be of such extent as to allow of an axial rocking action under bulfeting by air moving through tube 13. It is evident that a relatively long piston would he incapable of such action.

Tube 13 at each of its ends is provided with diametrally opposed, inwardly projecting stops 15 so as to prevent piston 14 from inadvertently being displaced from tube 13. The material of construction of tube 13 may be any suitable plastic material, providing transparency as well as substantialrigidity.

In operation, with compartments 1, 2 in normal airfilled condition as shown in full lines in FIGURES 1 and 2, piston 14- will be disposed at the lower end of tube 13 abutting lower end stops 15. The user may then grasp cylindrical wall 5 of toy A and efiect a squeezing or compressing thereof so as' to draw the opposed portions of wall 5 toward each other, as indicated in phantom lines in FIGURE 2, with consequent forcing of air from compartment 1, upwardly through passage 3, into compartment 2, and thence along tube 13 for flow past piston 14 for discharge at the lower end of said tube. The impact of the exhausting air upon piston 14 will cause the same to be axially rocked from side to side, into and from frictional abutment against the inner face of tube 13 with the resulting development of a whistling-like sound. Upon release of pressure on wall 5, air will be drawn into toy A by suction, moving upwardly into tube 13 causing piston 14 to be carried upwardly to the upper end of tube 13 with the effecting of a similar whistling-like sound. In its upward travel, piston 14 will be continuously engaging the inner face or" tube 13'as it rocks, as well as rotating about its longitudinal axis. The intake of air is terminated on equalization of the air pressure within compartments 1, 2 with that of the ambient atmosphere; with wall 5 being thus restored to normal condition. As toy A slowly fills with air, piston 14 will correspondingly slowly descend tube 13, under gravitational pull, to initial or start ing position, with the accompanying above-described sound.

By squeezing of toy A, the user will immediately be provided with the amusing spectacle of piston 14 moving upwardly in tube 13 without any visible driving force, and then moving reciprocally downward while concurrently effecting the development of a distinctive, arresting sound. Toy A thus appeals to both the visual and the aural senses of the user, thereby proving to be an object of great fascination, capable of capturing and maintaining ones attention. Toy A is most adapted for child pacification; is easily operated by a child of very tender years; and is so fabricated'as to be non-hazardous in usage.

Another form of the present invention, being designated A, is shown in FIGURE 3, with the same incorporating a cylindrical container 20 having a side wall 21, a bottom wall 22, a top wall 23, merging into upwardly opening neck 24. Received, by a friction fit, within neck 24 for projection therebelow into the interior of container 20, is a lower end portion of the vertically presented tube 13', being in all respect similar to tube 13 hereinabove described; and said tube 13 having at each of its ends a pair of stops 15' for preventing inadvertent displacement from said tube 13 of a piston 14 which is structurally the same as piston 14. Spacedly above neck 24, tube 13 projects through diametrally opposed lower and upper openings 25, 26 in a spherical member 27, there being inwardly turned, annular sleeve-like flanges 25', 26' associated with opening 25, 26 respectively, for elfecting a snug, surfacewise gripping of the adjacent portion of tube 13' so as to maintain member 27 fixedly thereon in selected position relative to neck 24, so that an intervening portion 28 of tube 13' will be exposed. The upper end of tube 13' may terminate upwardly of opening 26 for limited exposure thereabove. A portion of the exterior of member 27 may be formed with simulative facial features, as at 29, for endowing toy A with an animated character.

In normal or initial condition, with container airfilled, piston 14 will be disposed at the lower end of tube 13' and, being below the upper edge of neck 24, will be thus hidden from view. Upon compressing or squeezing of wall 21, air will be forced upwardly through tube 13 driving piston 14' to the upper end thereof; which action will cause the development of an accompanying sound, all as described above. The user will, by such operation of toy A, catch a tantalizing glimpse of piston 14 as it quickly moves upwardly through exposed portion 28 'of tube 13' and also when visible at the upper end extremity of tube 13' to the same project above member 27. Upon release of pressure on wall 21, container 20 will slowly refill with air causing piston 14' to descend slowly to starting position and thus accord the user another opportunity of viewing same as it now moves downwardly through the exposed portion 28 of tube 13'.

In this form of the invention, the transparent tube 13' is connected directly to the container portion or compressible air reservoir of the toy and thereby provides an amusing variation upon the operation of the above-described toy A which latter, it will be noted, does not elfect direct connection between the squeezing portion of the toy and the tube but incorporates an intermediate compartment.

In View of the foregoing it is apparent that the toys A and A may both be manufactured in a most economical manner of highly durable material so as to be substantially wear-resistant; and which toys, through the simplicity of operation inherent therein, accord the user with a most fascinating action so as to be capable of capturing the users attention.

As the piston 14' moves through the exposed portion 28 of tube 13, a simulated animation is efl'ected for it could appear to the viewer as though there was a swallowing action, as of a grape, or that the toys Adams apple was moving up and down.

It is understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the squeeze toy may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A toy comprising an air container formed of resilient material, said container being closed at one end and having an opening in its other end portion, a tubular transparent passage-forming member fixed in said opening of said container for extension therefrom, and .a piston disposed in said passage-forming member for reciprocal travel therein responsive to contraction and return expansion of said container, said piston being of cylindrical form and having a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of said passage-forming member, means whereby the said piston is free for axial rotative movement as well as side-to-side rockable movement responsive to flow of air between same and the inner face of said passageforming member for sound-production, the transparency of said passage-forming member allowing full visibility of the piston as the same is operated.

2. A toy comprising an air container having first and second compartments with the latter having an opening, there being a passage between said compartments, a transparent tubular member engaged at one of its end within the opening of said second compartment for communication with the interior thereof, said first compartment having resilient walls for facility of compression of the same for exhausting of air from said compartment, a piston member disposed in said tubular member for reciprocal travel therein responsive to compression and return expansion of the resilient walls of said first compartment, and stop means provided at the ends of said tubular member to prevent displacement of said piston therefrom, said piston being of cylindrical form and having a diameter less than the inside diameter of said transparent tubular member, means whereby the said piston is free for axial rotative movement as well as side-to-side rockable movement responsive to flow of air between same and the inner face of said transparent tubular member for sound-production, the transparency of said transparent tubular member permitting of full visibility of said piston during operation.

3. A toy comprising a cylindrical container having a side wall, a base wall, a-top wall, and a neck projecting upwardly from said top wall, said container being formed of resilient material, a transparent tubular member engaged in said neck for extension therebeyond, said tubular member being in communication with the interior of said container, 2. piston member disposed in said tubular member for reciprocal travel therein responsive to compression and return expansion of the container side walls, said piston being of cylindrical form and having a diameter less than the inside diameter of said transparent tubular member, means whereby the said piston is free for axial rotative movement and side-to-side rockable movement responsive to flow of air between same and the inner face of said transparent tubular member for sound-production, the transparency of said tubular member permitting of full visibility of the said piston during operation and means provided at the ends of said tubular member to prevent displacement of said piston therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 831,392 9/06 Warfel 46178 2,546,189 3/51 Keep et a1. 2,618,899 11/52 Nudelman 46193 2,739,065 3/56 Hugin. 2,811,808 11/57 Briese. 3,103,911 9/63 Tappan et al 46179 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner. 

3. A TOY COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER HAVING A SIDE WALL, A BASE WALL, A TOP WALL, AND A NECK PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID TOP WALL, SAID CONTAINER BEING FORMED OF RESILIENT MATERIAL, A TRANSPARENT TUBULAR MEMBER ENGAGED IN SAID NECK FOR EXTENSION THEREBEYOND, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, A PISTON MEMBER DISPOSED IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR RECIPROCAL TRAVEL THEREIN RESPONSIVE TO COMPRESSION AND RETURN EXPANSION OF THE CONTAINER SIDE WALLS, SAID PISTON BEING OF CYLINDRICAL FORM AND HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID TRANSPARENT TUBULAR MEMBER, MEANS WHEREBY THE SAID PISTON IS FREE FOR AXIAL ROTATIVE MOVEMENT AND SIDE-TO-SIDE ROCKABLE MOVEMENT RESPONSIVE TO FLOW OF AIR BETWEEN SAME AND THE INNER FACE OF SAID TRANSPARENT TUBULAR MEMBER FOR SOUND-PRODUCTION, THE TRANSPARENCY OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER PERMITTING OF FULL VISIBILITY OF THE SAID PISTON DURING OPERATION AND MEANS PROVIDED AT THE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PISTON THEREFROM. 